Bucks-Cavaliers Preview

By BRETT HUSTON
Posted Feb 10 2012 1:59PM

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't have Kyrie Irving in their latest game, but backup Ramon Sessions' performance in his absence showed the team has more than one capable floor leader.

They hope Sessions can turn in similar efforts in the next two games, starting Friday night.

A concussion will sideline Irving for two more contests, so the Cavs could use another big game out of Sessions when they face the Milwaukee Bucks and struggling Brandon Jennings, who has more trouble at Quicken Loans Arena that any opposing venue.

Irving has quickly become the Cavaliers' leader, averaging 18.0 points to lead all rookies while ranking second with 5.1 assists per game and 49.2 percent shooting.

His emergence has meant fewer minutes for Sessions, who averaged 15.8 points over the second half of the 2010-11 season but came into Wednesday's visit from the Los Angeles Clippers scoring 9.0 per game and shooting 33.5 percent.

Pressed into a starting role when the team found out Irving would sit with a concussion sustained Tuesday, Sessions responded with season highs of 24 points and 13 assists, outplaying Chris Paul and leading the Cavaliers (10-14) to a 99-92 victory.

"It's not my first rodeo," said Sessions, who spent his first two seasons in Milwaukee. "I was ready to go when they called my name."

That's good for the Cavs as they take a now-required cautious approach with Irving, who was evaluated at the Cleveland Clinic on Thursday. The team is following the NBA's new guidelines on concussions, which requires a player to complete a series of steps to be cleared for competition.

"He's getting better but we are going through NBA protocol," coach Byron Scott said. "He'll be out tonight and tomorrow and we'll go from there. He's making improvement but we're not going to risk putting him out there until the doctors say he's fine."

Having Irving on the court would have created a matchup of two of the league's top young point guards, but Jennings - Milwaukee's leading scorer - hasn't done much lately to live up to that reputation.

After averaging 23.7 points and 5.9 assists as the Bucks (11-14) won six of 10 from Jan. 17-Feb. 3, he has averaged 7.3 points and shot 30.8 percent (8 for 26) over the past three games.

He shot 3 of 12 in Toronto on Wednesday, but Carlos Delfino stepped up with a season-high 25 points to lift Milwaukee to a 105-99 win. It was the Bucks' fourth win in six road games after starting 0-8.

"We haven't been the best on the road this year,' said former Cavalier Drew Gooden, who had his third straight 20-point game. "But we're steadily trying to creep up and get back to the .500 mark and we need road wins to do that."

Milwaukee won three of four in last season's series, including just its second victory in 16 road games against the Cavaliers.

Jennings sat out that 102-88 win Jan. 21 with a broken foot, but he probably didn't miss taking the floor in Cleveland. He's lost all three games he has played at Quicken Loans Arena, averaging 8.7 points and shooting 20.0 percent (8 for 40) - easily his worst mark in any venue.

While Irving has gotten much of the credit for the Cavaliers' early competitiveness, Anderson Varejao's contributions have been perhaps just as critical. Second in the East with 11.8 rebounds per game, Varejao has averaged 15.0 points and 14.8 boards over his last five games.

That could spell trouble for the Bucks, who have been outrebounded by 4.9 per game since Andrew Bogut went down. The only game Varejao played during last season's series was the Cavaliers' lone victory.

Cleveland is 8-0 at home against Milwaukee with Varejao in the lineup.

Jennings' 24 lifts Bucks past Cavs 113-112 in OT

By TOM WITHERS
Posted Feb 10 2012 11:36PM

CLEVELAND (AP) Scott Skiles knew the Bucks needed a spark.

When none of his players stepped up, Milwaukee's coach ignited things himself.

Skiles got himself ejected on purpose, picking up two quick technical fouls in the third quarter, and the Bucks rallied for a 113-112 win in overtime Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who played without rookie Kyrie Irving and lost center Anderson Varejao to a sprained wrist.

"I felt like it might get us going a little bit," Skiles said of his strategy to get thrown out. "Sometimes you do that and it works. Sometimes you do it and it doesn't. I'm not saying it did tonight. I'm just happy the guys hung in there and we got it done."

Brandon Jennings had 24 points, including a big layup in overtime, and eight assists for the Bucks, who trailed by 10 late in the third period - right after Skiles was tossed.

Drew Gooden scored 19 points and made two free throws with 4.4 seconds left in OT for Milwaukee, which is 5-2 in its past seven road games after an 0-8 start.

Antawn Jamison had a season-high 34 points and 11 rebounds, but the Cleveland forward missed two free throws - after a foul underneath on Gooden - with 3.7 seconds to go in regulation and the game tied.

"That's tough," Cavs coach Byron Scott said of Jamison's late miscues. "But if `Twan doesn't play the way he played, we don't even have a chance."

Jamison scored seven straight points and nine overall as the Cavaliers closed the third quarter with a 12-4 run to take an 85-77 lead into the fourth.

During Cleveland's run, Skiles got run.

He had been waiting for the right moment to motivate his team, and when the officials didn't call a foul when Gooden was hit on a drive, Skiles went to work.

The volatile coach stormed onto the floor, complaining to referee John Goble and punching the air with his fist before he was ejected with 2:46 left in the period and the Bucks down seven.

"Usually when Scott gets a tech, he might get another one," Jennings said. "Sometimes that fires a team up, it gets guys really wanting to win."

Ramon Sessions added 16 assists in his second start in place of Irving, who missed his second straight game with a concussion.

The Cavaliers went just 4 of 14 from the field and 2 of 6 from the line in the final 8:04.

Gooden scored Milwaukee's first four points in OT, and after the Cavs pulled to 108-106, Jennings drove the lane and dropped in his layup over rookie Tristan Thompson. Jennings later split a pair of free throws, keeping Cleveland's hopes alive, but Alonzo Gee made just 1 of 2 foul shots for the Cavs to make it 111-109 with 5.2 seconds left.

Gooden was fouled and made his two free throws to give the Bucks a four-point lead before Gee drained a 3-pointer at the horn to close the scoring between two teams that could be in the mix for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.

"It was a crazy game," Jennings said. "We played horrible, but we got the win."

On Thursday, Jennings, who was miffed about not being named an All-Star reserve, caused some angst among Bucks fans by saying in an interview with ESPN.com that he was already doing his homework on big-market teams. He's eligible for free agency in two years.

Before the game, Jennings tried to clarify his comments.

"It's nothing to be worried about," said Jennings, who is under contract through next season. "It kind of got blown out of proportion a little bit. I never said I was leaving. After being in this a couple years, I understand the business of basketball.

"I'm still going to be here playing hard every night and my focus is to get into the playoffs."

Skiles said he isn't thinking about Jennings' future.

"It's a long time before that (free agency) would happen," Skiles said. "He's still on his rookie deal. The system is the system. The players have a right to operate within the system. It doesn't bother me what he said. Players have options and the teams have options. If people don't like the system they probably should have changed it."

Irving missed his first game as a pro Wednesday after being diagnosed with concussion symptoms shortly before tip-off against the Clippers. He will also sit out Saturday's home game against Philadelphia, and won't play again until next Wednesday against Indiana - at the earliest.

Under the league's new concussion guidelines, players are not permitted to do any physical activity until their symptoms go away completely. Irving complained of a headache earlier this week. The 19-year-old did nothing on Friday but watch the game from the end of Cleveland's bench smartly dressed in a charcoal gray suit instead of his usual white No. 2 jersey.

Already without their best player, the Cavs lost Varejao early in the second half with a sprained right wrist. The Cavs said X-rays were negative on the center, who has been playing at an All-Star level. Cleveland can't afford to be without him for long.

Varejao left the arena with a brace on his wrist. Scott said the team will know more Saturday about his condition.

NOTES: Varejao wasn't upset or disappointed that he wasn't selected for the All-Star game. His statistics - 11 points and 11.8 rebounds per game - warranted consideration but he wasn't picked by coaches. "I didn't start the year trying to make the All-Star team," he said. "I want to win games and make the playoffs." ... Cavs G Anthony Parker missed his sixth straight game with a lower back strain. ... Bucks backup F Larry Sanders was a late scratch with an unspecified illness. ... Thompson returned after missing six of the previous nine games with a sprained ankle.

Notebook: Bucks 113, Cavs 112

Posted Saturday February 11, 2012 12:47AM

By Brian Dulik, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Center Drew Gooden scored six of his 19 points in overtime and took a critical charge with 11.8 seconds left, allowing the Milwaukee Bucks to escape with a 113-112 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Point guard Brandon Jennings had a team-high 24 points and eight assists for Milwaukee, which rallied from a 15-point deficit for the road triumph. Cleveland power forward Antawn Jamison collected a season-best 34 points and 11 rebounds, but missed two free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining in regulation that sent the teams to OT tied at 102-102.

QUOTABLE: "This was a crazy game. We played horrible, but we got the win. Drew came off the pick-and-roll and was open like two straight plays to start OT, and he made some big shots right away. Then he took that charge at the end [on Cavaliers shooting guard Daniel Gibson]. He was big for us tonight."
-- Bucks guard Brandon Jennings

THE STAT: Jamison was held scoreless over the final 7:34, going 0-of-2 from the field and 0-of-2 from the foul line to spoil his best game of the season. Bucks power forward Luc Mbah a Moute did a masterful job guarding him and clogging the paint during that span. "I was just trying to make it tough for him," Mbah a Moute said. "We figured that if we stop him, we pretty much have them under control." Jamison finished the contest 14-for-21 on field goal attempts, 2-for-3 beyond the arc, and 4-for-8 on free throws in a season-high 44 minutes.

TURNING POINT: With Milwaukee leading 110-108 and 18.8 seconds left in OT, the Cavaliers called timeout to set up a play for Gibson. When Gibson dribbled down the middle of the lane, Gooden planted himself in front of the no-charge circle, absorbed the impact, and drew the foul. Gibson's charge forced Cleveland to send the Bucks to the foul line, where Jennings made 1-for-2 and Gooden buried 2-for-2 to lock up the win. Alonzo Gee made a meaningless 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Cavaliers. "We did it as a team down the stretch," Gooden said. "I'm just happy we won tonight."

QUOTABLE II: "We feel like we put in enough effort and played hard enough to win, but we came out on the other side. It's tough to swallow, but we'll learn from it and grow, and we'll be better from it."
-- Cavaliers shooting guard Daniel Gibson

HOT: Bucks power forward Ersan Ilyasova returned after missing one game with back spasms and scored 12 points in 30 strong minutes off the bench. ... Cavaliers point guard Ramon Sessions had a season-high 16 assists, which was the most by a Cleveland player since Andre Miller had 16 against Atlanta on April 13, 2002. ... Jamison is averaging 26.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in his last four games. ... Cavaliers power forward Tristan Thompson grabbed a game- and career-high 13 rebounds and had three thunderous blocked shots. Thompson, the No. 4 overall pick in the NBA Draft, had sat out the previous four contests with a sprained left ankle.

NOT: Milwaukee small forward Carlos Delfino missed 10 of his 12 field-goal attempts, going 1-for-9 on two-point tries. ... The Cavaliers were 7-for-15 (46.7 percent) on free throws in the fourth quarter and OT. ... Sessions was 4-for-16 from the field and had a game-high five turnovers, while Thompson was 2-for-8 on field goals and 1-for-3 on free throws. ... ... Cleveland allowed five points in the final 4.5 seconds of the second quarter, including a 34-footer by Delfino at the buzzer. ... The Cavaliers squandered a 17-2 lead to start the game by being outscored 25-8 in the next 6:06. Cleveland also blew an 87-79 advantage it held early in the fourth.

QUOTABLE III: "This was a very disappointing loss. Our guys continued to battle and played their butts off, so it's just a disappointing loss."
-- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott

GOOD MOVE: Bucks coach Scott Skiles picked up two technical fouls and was ejected with 2:46 left in the third quarter after a no-call on a Gooden jumper. Milwaukee trailed 83-73 at the time, but rallied behind assistant Jim Boylan to outscore the Cavaliers 29-19 over the remainder of regulation. "I had made the decision a few minutes earlier that if there was a close call, I was gonna go [get thrown out] tonight," Skiles said. Gooden was grateful for his coach's actions, saying, "Coach stood up for me, and I told him how happy I was that he did that."

BAD MOVE: The Cavaliers -- already without two starters in point guard Kyrie Irving (concussion) and shooting guard Anthony Parker (lower back strain) -- lost its leading rebounder at the 9:01 mark of the third. Center Anderson Varejao suffered a sprained right wrist when he was struck by Bucks swingman Mike Dunleavy Jr. on a shot. X-rays were negative, but Varejao's wrist was placed in a brace and he did not return. "Andy is having a great year, so I'm hoping everything is OK with him," said Gooden, who played with Cleveland from 2004-2008.

NOTABLE: Irving is listed as "day-to-day," but has already been ruled out of playing Saturday when the Cavaliers host Philadelphia. The No. 1 overall draft pick was at Quicken Loans Arena and appeared to be in good spirits. ... The statuses of Varejao and Parker also are scheduled to be updated before the 76ers game. ... Cleveland's 33 assists were a season high. ... Gibson made a modest run at his first triple-double with 17 points, six rebounds and eight assists. ... Gee scored 18 points and made three 3-pointers off the bench. ... Cavaliers assistant coach Jamahl Mosley earned his first NBA technical for barking at the officials in the third. ... Six Bucks reached double figures in points: Jennings (24), Gooden (19), Ilyasova (12), Dunleavy (12), and shooting guards Shaun Livingston (13) and Stephen Jackson (10).

UP NEXT: For the Bucks, Saturday vs. Orlando, Monday vs. Miami, Wednesday vs. New Orleans. For the Cavaliers, Saturday vs. Philadelphia, Wednesday vs. Indiana, Friday vs. Miami.

• Bucks: Bogut
• Cavaliers: Irving, Parker

• Bucks: Skiles, Skiles
• Cavaliers: Mosley

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 10

• Arena: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
• Officials: #49 Tom Washington, #30 John Goble, #50 Olandis Poole
• Attendance: 15195
• Duration: 2:39